Hockey expert breaks down playoff series, rules

DENVER - Saturday night's hockey game is a big one for the Avalanche. They're now tied 2-2 in their playoff series with the Minnesota Wild, meaning Saturday's winner will have a huge advantage as the teams head to Game 6.

There's no question that having the Avs back in the playoffs has garnered a lot of new interest in the sport, bringing in new hockey fans who may not know all of the ins and outs of the game.

For those fans, 9NEWS wanted to give a "Hockey 101" lesson on the rules. We brought in hockey expert Angelo Ricci to break down terms including icing, offside and pulling the goalie.

Ricci and 9NEWS weekend sports anchor Aaron Matas later discussed Colorado's run in the playoffs and what happened in Games 3 and 4. Matas also asked Ricci his predictions on whether the Avs players and coach Patrick Roy and several players could take home post-season awards.

Ricci is the Director of Hockey Operations for the Colorado Thunderbirds AAA youth hockey organization. The University of Denver alum also played professionally for two years before a career-ending injury.

In addition to running the Thunderbird organization, he also runs Ricci Hockey Consulting and hosts "Between the Pipes" on 102.3 ESPN radio in Denver.